Cottage Grove can't claim to be healthy, survey says

Much like the rest of Lane County, Cottage Grove residents on average drink too much alcohol, smoke too much and consume too few fruits and vegetables, though officials with PeaceHealth and related organizations believe that a serious conversation on how to reverse such trends has finally begun.

Last week, a partnership between three organizations—PeaceHealth Medical Group, Trillium and Lane County Public Health—led to the release of a Community Health Needs Assessment, which is being billed as the most comprehensive look ever at the health of Lane County residents.

The study uncovered several startling facts, including the rate at which pregnant mothers smoke tobacco in Lane County (17 percent in 2009), the alarming rise in the rate of obesity both locally and nationwide (between 25 and 29 percent of Oregon’s population), the number of deaths attributed to alcohol here (about 17 deaths per 100,000 in Lane County) and the rate of suicide (18 percent in Lane County).